<p class="title">Turkey's president says that there have been 109 "terrorists killed" — a reference to Syrian Kurdish fighters — since Ankara launched an offensive into Syria the previous day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not elaborate and the reports on the ground did not indicate anything remotely close to such a large number of casualties.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Erdogan also warned the European Union not to call Ankara's incursion into Syria an 'invasion,' and renewed his threat of letting Syrian refugees flood Europe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He reiterated an earlier statement that Turkey could "open the gates" for an influx of Syrian migrants to Europe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Erdogan spoke to ruling party officials on Thursday, saying Turkey seeks to prevent the creation of a "terror state" along its border with Syria.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Turkey's state-run news agency says Turkey-allied Syrian opposition fighters have "cleared of terror" two villages across the border in Syria — meaning there are no more Syrian Kurdish fighters in those villages.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Anadolu Agency said on Thursday the Turkish-backed fighters entered the villages of Yabisa and Tel Fander. It did not provide further details.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Major Youssef Hammoud, a spokesman for Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, tweeted that they were in Yabisa, near the town of Tal Abyad, describing it as "the first village to win freedom."</p>
<p class="title">Turkey's president says that there have been 109 "terrorists killed" — a reference to Syrian Kurdish fighters — since Ankara launched an offensive into Syria the previous day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not elaborate and the reports on the ground did not indicate anything remotely close to such a large number of casualties.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Erdogan also warned the European Union not to call Ankara's incursion into Syria an 'invasion,' and renewed his threat of letting Syrian refugees flood Europe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He reiterated an earlier statement that Turkey could "open the gates" for an influx of Syrian migrants to Europe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Erdogan spoke to ruling party officials on Thursday, saying Turkey seeks to prevent the creation of a "terror state" along its border with Syria.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Turkey's state-run news agency says Turkey-allied Syrian opposition fighters have "cleared of terror" two villages across the border in Syria — meaning there are no more Syrian Kurdish fighters in those villages.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Anadolu Agency said on Thursday the Turkish-backed fighters entered the villages of Yabisa and Tel Fander. It did not provide further details.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Major Youssef Hammoud, a spokesman for Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, tweeted that they were in Yabisa, near the town of Tal Abyad, describing it as "the first village to win freedom."</p>